On August 23.2006 city workers with trucks, heavy equipment and a contingency of mounted police demolished Chris Gardiner's home under the on ramp to the Gardiner Expressway. Chris is a gentle person who does no harm. I have known him for many years and can testify that he is supportive and helpful to others. His squat was always neat and clean and he is not a drug addict.
Similar scenes occur on a regular basis in Toronto, as authorities pursue a policy of harassment designed to drive homeless people from the city. People who were born and raised here are being driven out to seek shelter in a more friendly location.
The same thing and worse has happened to me on several occasions. Each time I gathered up the few belongings that remained after they took my home to the dump, found a new secluded site and started over. Every homeless person who ever had a squat will speak of similar experiences. They don't want homeless people in Toronto, but they won't make affordable housing available. It's cheaper to just drive us away and let someone else deal with the problem. I wonder what an eviction like this costs the City.
3 comments:
Hi Ronzig, I came accross your blog by accident, or was it? I am a social worker in Colorado, USA. I love working with the homeless and find satisfaction in finding them permanent housing. Perhaps we can become friends, I know there is so much I can learn from you. Write me sometime. gatobita@hotmail.com
Kamala
I recently sent this message to the NDP Party. If you agree with it, please copy it and send it. You can email from this url.
http://www.ndp.ca/contact
We can never expect the government to become a landlord to all of the people on social assistance, pensions, or working at minimum wage.
With the current system of government owned affordable housing and its 10 year waiting list, we have created 2 classes of poor people in Canada; one which is destitute and without assisted housing and the other getting by adequately because they won the housing lottery.
The only possible solution to homelessness is to ensure that each of these systems allows adequate income for the recipient to afford market rents in his area.
It's time that the federal government stepped up to the plate and passed legislation providing funding and constitutional requirements to this effect.
I call on you Jack Leyton to make this a primary issue in the upcoming election.
Hey Ron,
Love the addition of the video (you really are spreading your talents around...)
Only thing is, I can't see the right-most side of the video insert. On my 1024x768 monitor, I don't get any scroll bars for left-right adjustment.
I can see about 80-90 % of the video, so it's not too bad, but I wonder if there's any options for making it a tad smaller?
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